Card handling equipment



April 8, 1941.

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mvzm'oa ARTHUR PENTECOST Patentecl Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD HANDLING EQUIPMENT Arthur Pentecost, Upper Montclair, N. J., assignor to Remington Rand Ina, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in card handling equipment, and particularly to devices of this type in which a plurality of card containing compartments, or pockets, are located in associated relationship, such as in sorting machines.

The primary object of the invention is toprovide equipment of the class described, in which the card containing or receiving compartments are illuminated in such a manner as to clearly indicate to the operator the relative number of cards contained in the individual compartments, and also make readily observable whatever identifying designations are employed in connection with the separate compartments.

Another object in furtherance of the invention consists in forming the compartment walls of the portion of the equipment with which this disclosure relates of a material adapted to absorb light and forming the designations employed to identify the respective compartments of a material adapted to reflect light so that such designations particularly are easily seen by the operator which materially reduces the possibility of human error in grouping or selecting the cards handled by the machine.

A further object is to utilize, with devices hav ing a plurality of separate juxtaposed card pockets, a unitary or individual light producing source through means of which all of the pockets or compartments are uniformly illuminated, such illumination preferably being provided by a gaseous discharge, or neon, tube in order to avoid heating in the locality of its employment and also to eliminate the creation of shadows within the compartments.

Still another object of the invention. is to provide a means for directing the light from the illuminating source so the same is confined to that portion of the device at which it is desired.

A further object is to construct a unitary housing enclosure or cover member adapted to contain the light producing source and a reflector for the same, within the body of the cover. The cover member is designed to removably fit in a position i above the card receiving compartments of the device with which it is employed, the construction not interfering in any way with the normal operation of the mechanism of the device.

Another object is to provide a cover member having alight producing source common to all of the compartments for containing cards in equipment of this nature, the same being particularly located to artificially illuminate the surface portions of the respective compartments having identifying designations thereon.

For purposes of illustration the embodiment 01 the inventive subject matter herewith disclosed is shown as applied for use with the card receiving compartments of a sorting machine. Obviously, however, the same is equally adaptable for use on other devices, such as tabulating machines, in which a number of juxtaposed card containing compartments are provided. The operation and mechanism of the sorting machine do not form a part of the present invention, the machine performing its designed purposes in a manner well known in the art. The device of this type shown generally in the accompanying drawing employed to illustrate the present invention is fully disclosed and described in Patent No. 1,7365%, issued November 19, 1929, to J. Last.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the embodimeet of the invention as preferably employed with the card receiving pockets or compartments of the type of sorting machine illustrated;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan cross section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1 disclosing the front of the card containing compartment base portion of the sorter illustrating the preferred location of the identifying designations for the respective compartments;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3--3, of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail bottom plan view of the cover member of theinvention removed from position on the upper portion of the card receiving compartments.

With particular reference to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawing, the sorting machine with which the invention is illustrated is indicated in general by the reference number 15. The mechanism for the machine and the card containing or receiving compartments of the same are suitably mounted in an elevated position upon a supporting frame work, the uprights of which are designated at l6 and the tie rods thereof at IT. The upper horizontal stationary cross pieces iii of the sorter construction, including the card delivering mechanism therebetween for directing and sorting the cards into the classification pockets below the same, provides a suitable supporting rest for the location of a correspondingly rectangular-shaped cover IS. The rim of the cover I9 is preferably flanged to provide a removable connection fastening for locating this member in position above the card sorting section of the machine with which it is associated.

The card receiving compartment portion of the equipment is illustrated herein to be comprised of thirteen separate juxtaposed pockets as shown at 20, into which the cards are selectively projected as well known in the art. Each of the compartments preferably include a yieldably positioned card holding member therein as indicated at 2|. A base 22 and vertical walls 23 define the respective card receiving compartments, each of which has an individual sorting identification designation or character, the same being shown in the drawing by the reference number 24, The characters employed in the present in stance are the numerals, zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, eleven, and twelve and the letter R, the same being preferably located on the forward top portion of the base 22.

In pursuance of the herein disclosed subject matter the base and walls of the compartments are adapted to be covered with light absorbent material preferably black in color. In contrast to the same, the identifying designations 24 employed are formed of a separate material, one that is adapted to be light reflecting and preferably White in color. It will be appreciated that in view of the difference in the material forming this portion of the structure, when illumination is provided for the compartments, the respective designating characters thereof are clearly emphasized and brought to the attention of the operator of the machine.

With particular reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the unitary light producing means providing for illuminating the compartments within the teaching of the present invention, is shown in the form of an elongated gaseous discharge tube designated at 25. This tube is suitably mounted within the cover member l9 to extend longitudinally and in a forward position in the same so that light is uniformly distributed throughout all of the compartments 2!] and also to efiect the illumination of the designating characters 24 associated with the respective compartments. A suitable provision is made, not shown in the drawing, for supplying electrical current to the gaseous tube to effect the operation of the same in a customary manner. A directional controlling means is provided in the form of a reflector element 26 within the cover I 9, secured thereto in a position above the illuminating means 25 for confining the distribution of light in the proper designed manner.

A window 27 is provided in the top of the cover member l9 to facilitate observation of the operation of the sorting mechanism below the cover by the operator of the machine.

As shown in the drawing the cover member l9 is constructed, in this instance, in a rectangular form to make accommodation for the illumination of the thirteen compartments of the sorting machine with which it is employed. The external and internal constructional characteristics of the cover member may obviously be changed within the teachings of the inventive subject matter so that the same may be employed with any reasonable number of juxtaposed cards containing compartments utilized in any type of equipment of this nature requiring the same.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor to anything less than the Whole of my invention as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a card sorting device of the class described having a plurality of juxtaposed open top card receiving compartments, said compartments also being open laterally to facilitate removal of the sorted cards contained therein and being provided with individual designating characters situated substantially adjacent the lateral opening thereof, a unitary cover member disposed over the open top area of the juxtaposed compartments, and an artificial light providing means mounted on and situated Within said cover member and above said compartments to uniformly illuminate all of the compartments whereby particularly the cards and the associated designating characters therefor are readily observable.

2. In a card sorting device of the class described having a plurality of juxtaposed card open top receiving compartments, said compartthe juxtaposed compartments, and a single artificial light producing means mounted on and situated within said cover member and above said compartments to obtain directed uniform illumination throughout the juxtaposed compartments whereby particularly the cards and the associated designating characters therefor are readily observable.

ARTHUR PENTECOST. 

